Husker Fan myopia

[Lonestar_Husker]

OK... I just gotta say something about all the fervor over coaches, past and present.

 

Shawn Watson is viewed by most here as a terrible coach that had no business in the profession. Couldn't develop QBs and his offense was crap. Goes to Louisville, develops Teddy Bridgewater into an NFL first round draft pick, has some success as both QB coach and offensive coordinator and moves to Texas with Charlie Strong. Remains to be seen what will happen there. Sorry, he is a pretty good coach, respected among his peers. The majority of Husker fan opinions are questionable, at best, regarding the coaching aptitude of Shawn Watson. I won't even go into his time with Gary Barnett at Northwestern and Colorado. Generally considered successful on the field. Colorado really had some issues at the end there, off the field, but that can't be laid at Watson's feet. I don't think, anyway, I don't know too much about it. Please correct me if I'm wrong and it was all his fault.

 

Tim Beck is viewed as an even worse coach, it would appear. Yet, defending national champion Ohio St. thought well enough of him to hire him for their offensive coordinator position. Again, it remains to be seen how it will turn out, but I will have to defer to the expertise of freaking Urban Meyer over any of the posters that I have witnessed on this message board.

 

It's not easy to look in the mirror sometimes. I believe these are two very good and well respected coaches, that are viewed favorably everywhere else.

 

I fear for Mike Riley's first loss. I'm reserving judgment until I see something. I feel the credit for keeping the recruiting class together should be shared. It would seem to me that the former staff was actually selling the University of Nebraska to the recruits, as opposed to any particular promises or position coaches or whatever angle that one can think of.

 

I'm ambivalent to the new staff. Put me down for a "meh". We will see what shakes out. I have no reason to expect anything more than what we have accomplished the last few years. Pretty good seasons that didn't quite finish the way a fan would like, a championship of some sort. Came close a few times(got ShortTusked once) and in general there seemed to be turmoil.

 

I'm not saying we should have kept Bo. Things seemed to deteriorate to the point of no return. Personally, I think the spiral started with that aTm game, that was another ref job, and the resulting issues after the game. I'm sorry to offend any Aggies(not really), but you would be hard pressed to find a more "Good ole Boy" corrupt, college environment outside the states of Mississippi and Alabama. I mean, they assault people for walking in front of The Dog. They did everything they could to minimize the fallout for their lack of bonfire skills. Something was up there and Bo was chastised for not just taking it with a smile and an "aw, shucks". I'm pretty sure he wasn't the only one pissed off after that game. Aggies aren't really known for their sportsmanship, they are known more for their in your face braggadocio. I bet Cotton's testicles are still misshapen.

 

Anyway, I don't post a lot, I don't really enjoy all the bickering and condescension about what is essentially an entertainment related endeavor. I do read a lot here, and this is the best Husker related message board available, pay or free. I would just ask those that are so sure of the quality of this coach or that coach try and look at things without the red tint. Way too much? I know, I know... It's a Nebraska message board, everyone picks up the red tinted glasses on their way into the theater, it's just that can blind one to other parts of the movie.

 

Discuss.....

[Haspula]

Texas fans hate watson. Bridgewater was already there when watson arrived

[DaveH]

Good post.

 

I'd agree that a lot of fans are pretty shortsighted in that they don't realize as fans, they're not really privy to all the inner workings and variables that play into a team.

 

I guess the older I've become, I've learned to enjoy Saturdays with friends and watch the team play. Less bickering about details I know nothing about. Enjoy it for what it is and let's not go off the deep end..

[Lonestar_Husker]

Texas fans are the pinnacle of College Football knowledge, so I guess that settles that.

 

Bridgewater was a freshman in 2011, the same year Watson arrived. They arrived at the same time. He won Big east Rookie of the Year, as well a spot on the Freshman All American team.

[JJ Husker]

Watson and/or Beck may have been shortchanged by the fan base but it is hard to tell since they worked under meglamaniac Bo. I follow the gist of your OP until you start to lump Pelini in with those OC's. I think it's been pretty well exhibited that problems number 1 through 45 began directly with Bo. Whether or not Watson or Beck were a little better than generally considered is sort of beside the point at this juncture. We'll never know what they might've been able to do at Nebraska. All we know is it sure didn't seem real special while they were here.

[zoogs]

It's not just Nebraska fans. Fans of every team have irrational dislike for their coaches, especially the OC.

 

Beck should be a good recruiter, but is the #3 guy on offense at Ohio State and won't be calling plays. Watson is certainly quite capable as a QBs coach.

 

But all of us can name formations, plays, schemes, and catchphrases on offense. This lets us know when and how to judge offensive coordinators especially Usually when they "go away from what is working", or "The fans sitting next to me called out the play before it happened."

[obert1]

I always thought Beck could be outstanding. From what I see though is Beck has to allow his great players to make him look great. It appeared there was some tunnel vision going on though. I always thought he did a great job of having a plan laid out, but just wasn't able to adjust it as he went. For instance the thing that drove me nuts was situations where they got a lead or it felt like the team was just on the verge of putting the other team away and the last thing we need is a quick 3 and out. Same thing when the D gave up long tiring drive, last thing needed is a quick 3 and out. Then bang, 3 quick in-completions and the defense is right back on the field and the other team swings the momentum their way. It was almost like there was a plan we're sticking to it no matter what, no matter the game situation. Was frustrating to watch.

[Lonestar_Husker]

I always thought Beck could be outstanding. From what I see though is Beck has to allow his great players to make him look great. It appeared there was some tunnel vision going on though. I always thought he did a great job of having a plan laid out, but just wasn't able to adjust it as he went. For instance the thing that drove me nuts was situations where they got a lead or it felt like the team was just on the verge of putting the other team away and the last thing we need is a quick 3 and out. Same thing when the D gave up long tiring drive, last thing needed is a quick 3 and out. Then bang, 3 quick in-completions and the defense is right back on the field and the other team swings the momentum their way. It was almost like there was a plan we're sticking to it no matter what, no matter the game situation. Was frustrating to watch.

 

This is a little confusing. A lot of the complaints centered on "imposing our will on the other team", "pound the rock", and then the inevitable comparison to the mid 90s teams that did just that. We had the Jimmys and Joes to do that. Now, more teams have the Jimmys and Joes. I feel a diverse offense is preferable to running a system that is dependent on superior talent. I get that Bo and Watson were oil and water. The offense was the one(only?) thing from Callahan that did not need fixing. Bo "fixed" something that wasn't broken.

 

I guess I was trying to illustrate that as a fan base, I feel we are starting to become a hurdle, as opposed to an asset, for future coaching hires. I don't live in NE anymore, so I'm not as privy to the local perception, but I do get feedback from fans of many other teams. The perception of most of those fans(admittedly a small sample) is that Husker fans live in the past. Expectations are way too high. That is not to say expecting a championship is wrong, it's just that expecting things in x amount of time might be unrealistic. It took T.O. 20+ years before he won a National Championship. Many Big 8 titles, and played in many big bowl games, but times have changed. We need to beat more than just Oklahoma to get where we want. I think that in the current climate, we would have fired Tom Osborne after 5 years. Times change and if gratification isn't instant than it's irrelevant.

 

Bo made his own bed, and it was nails. We sharpened the points and the Athletic Department provided the wood to pound the nails through. I don't think our current state of affairs comes down to just a few people.

 

What do you think about someone like Bobby Knight? He won a lot, graduated a high % of his players, but was(is) a complete a-hole. I know his son, Tim. He has golf tournament at a course I worked at. I have chatted with both, at length, several times, so this is my personal opinion and not something developed from a distance based off of media portrayal.

 

Hypothetical: We win Big 10 in 2 years, play in BCS bowl but no N.C., our football graduation rate drops 15%. Should we keep Riley or fire Riley? Assuming that we have similar rates of underclassmen declaring for NFL. Do we want to be Alabama?

 

All apologies, I'm having difficulty expressing myself completely and coherently. I'm just .... confused. I guess I'm having issues with all of the dichotomies. Billions of dollars in amateur athletics. Student athletes carrying the expectations of millions of people, with the power to ruin days, weeks, or even a year of people that don't have a vested interest in the outcome of a game. Gamblers not withstanding.

 

All appreciations for putting up with my ramblings.

[Lonestar_Husker]

Watson and/or Beck may have been shortchanged by the fan base but it is hard to tell since they worked under meglamaniac Bo. I follow the gist of your OP until you start to lump Pelini in with those OC's. I think it's been pretty well exhibited that problems number 1 through 45 began directly with Bo. Whether or not Watson or Beck were a little better than generally considered is sort of beside the point at this juncture. We'll never know what they might've been able to do at Nebraska. All we know is it sure didn't seem real special while they were here.

 

I guess I'm trying to illustrate the validity or lack thereof, of the majority opinion of the Husker fanbase and how that could affect future hires. Again, I don't think it was all Bo's fault. 70% was his, but he sure went persona non grata in a heartbeat. Embarrassing losses will do that. I really did not like the screaming down of players on the sideline. This year's Wisconsin game was the final nail in the coffinbed, I think. I'm not sure what was more embarrassing, either, the game or the sideline antics.

 

I appreciate your comment.

[obert1]

I guess what I'm trying to say is we may not be able to impose our will by running 30 straight short side options anymore, but I thought we really weren't able to adjust our game to what was working and to feed the hot hand. It was stick to the game plan. The game plan was diverse when drawn up, but it seemed like the team couldn't adjust that plan as the game changed. Probably still confusing, hope makes a little more sense.

 

Bobby Knight is one of my favorite coaches. I like his and Bo's fire and temperament, I enjoy watching coaches like that. I think I'm still in the meh phase with MR, but I'm starting to get excited about a lot of the things he's bringing to the program. It's a wait and see on what kind of product ends up on the field I guess. I'm out of state now too, surrounded by NDSU fans, so I don't know for sure but I think a lot of us (admittedly) that liked Bo knew it was time to move on. I think the fanbase is more unified now, but I could be wrong.

[Landlord]

 

Bridgewater was a freshman in 2011, the same year Watson arrived. They arrived at the same time. He won Big east Rookie of the Year, as well a spot on the Freshman All American team.

 

 

Kind of like Taylor Martinez, then.

[True2tRA]

So.......

 

Shawn Watson is a good coach because Bridgewater is a good QB.

 

Tim Beck is a good coach because Ohio St. is the National Champion and Tim Beck was hired there during the offseason.

 

 

Can't argue with logic like that.

[C N Red]

So.......

Shawn Watson is a good coach because Bridgewater is a good QB.

Tim Beck is a good coach because Ohio St. is the National Champion and Tim Beck was hired there during the offseason.

Can't argue with logic like that.

Agree!! Exactly what i was gonna post. Really good players can make any coach look good. But, what do the coaches do with players who have talent but need that polishing to make them a good QB like Martinez and Armstrong. Martinez stalled at progressing and so far Armstrong is looking like he may as well. Alot of the non-progression of our qbs i put on poor qb coaching. I mean, you should see at least a fair amount of progression, not a stall or getting worse.

[teachercd]

Good post.

 

I'd agree that a lot of fans are pretty shortsighted in that they don't realize as fans, they're not really privy to all the inner workings and variables that play into a team.

 

I guess the older I've become, I've learned to enjoy Saturdays with friends and watch the team play. Less bickering about details I know nothing about. Enjoy it for what it is and let's not go off the deep end..

I agree...years back I was soooo into the wins and the losses. Now, for me, Saturday is about the game because of everything that goes along with it...

 

Take a 2:30 game...

 

9am: grabbing a beer waiting for friends to show up.

Head down to Lincoln and basically just rehash stories and have a drink

Park and either set up a tailgate or hit O street or the Rail Yard

Its 4-5 hours of fun before the game even starts.

[Ric Flair]

I thought Watson and Beck were both decidedly mediocre. Both seemed like good gameplanners, but terrible at adjusting on the fly. Kimd of like Mike Tyson says, everyone has a plan until he gets punched. I thought both were poor at making adjustments.

 

How much of their issues can be laid at the feet of Pelini is something we may never know. I got the sense both were dictated to in terms of what the offense should be doing. But how much they were kept from doing what they wanted is an open question.

 

I'm far more excited about the current staff than the OP. We now have a staff filled with an incredible amount of experience. These guys have been there and done that. They know how to develop talent and can devise schemes that play to the strengths of those players. They address virtually every criticism we had of the previous staff. So I choose to be excited about what they're goong to be able to do.